Apparatus for handling loose material



June 24, 1930. c. EY DAVIS 1,755,525

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING LOOSE MATERIAL original Filed Jan.. -19 1920 4 sheets-sheer 1 June 24, 1930. C, E, DAVIS 1,765,525

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING LOOSE MATERIAL Original Filed Jar1f`l9 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 C/Iarles Eavi 'June 24, 1930. C.. E, DAviS 1,765,525

APPARTUS FOR HANDLING LOOSE MATERIAL original Filed Jah. 19, 1920 4 sheets-sheet s June 24, 1930. c. E. DAVIS APPARATUS FOR HANDLING LOOSE MATERIAL Original Filed Jan. 19 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 24, 1930 PATENT FPECE CHARLES E. DAVIS, OF DAVENPORT, FLORDA, ASSGNOR TO GOODMAN MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOES, A CORPORATION OF-ILLINOIS A?PAEATUS FOR HANDLING LOOSE MATERIAL Original application filed January 19, 1920, Serial No. 352,413. i Divided and this application filed Jiuly 15,

1926, Serial No. 122,524. Renewed November 29, 1929.

rlhis invention relates to an apparatus for handling loose material and has among other objects to provide a new and improved apparatus of this description for moving loose material from one place to another by means of a scraper, and for guiding, controlling and actuating the scraper during its operation. The devicey is particularly adapted for moving coal in a mine, but it is of course evident that it may be used for any other purpose.

This application is a division of my prior application, Serial Number 352,413, filed January 19, 1920.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing a mine room with one form of device, embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the mine room illustrated in Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view with parts broken away showing the actuating mechanism for the head and tail lines of the scraper;y

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the construction illustrated Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view showing the brake mechanism for controlling the device of Figures 3 and 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a sectional view through the controlling clutch mechanism for the actuating mechanism illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on line 6-8 of Figure 6; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9 9 of Figure 7.

Referring now to the drawings, l have shown a scraper 1 having a head line 2 connected therewith, and a tail line 3 also coni'iected therewith. The tail line passes over a direction changing device 4l at the rear of the scraper. Associated with the head line 2 is a direction changing device 5 which may be a pulley or any other form of direction changing device. This direction changing device is connected with a control line 6. The control line passes about a direction changing device 7. The direction changing devices l and 7 are preferably fixed in position. The control line and the head and tail lines are controlled from the same point by the same operator.

In the construction illustrated I provide a portable controlling mechanism for these lines. As illustrated this mechanism consists of a truck 8 provided with a pairl of longitudinally spaced axles having supporting wheels 9, 9, thereon adapted to be run upon suitable tracks. in operation this truck may be run to the entrance of the mine room as illustrated in Figure 1. placed on the floor and the truck is supported upon this track as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The truck is provided with a series of winding drums (see Figure` These drums are driven by a suitable motor which is here illustrated as an electric motor le and which is connected by the pinion 15 with the vgear 16, mounted on the shaft 17 so as to rotate the shaft. The gear 16 is connected by a gear 13 with the shaft 19, so as to rotate said shaft. This shaftfis provided with two clutches which as herein shown are friction clutches,y consisting of the members 2O and 21, rwhich are loosely mounted on the shaft 19. Between these members is a sliding sleeve 22 which has a groove 23 containing the members of a fork 24. An arm 25 is pivoted at 26 and is connected by a link 27 e with the fork 24. This arm 25 is pivot-ed to the control member 26. The members 20 and 21 have the internal friction bands or pieces 27 (see Figures 7 and 9). One end of the band is connected at 27a with the partl 27b rotating with the member. The other end of the band 27 is connected to one end of the bell crank lever 27, which is pivoted to the part 27h. The other end of the bell crank lever is connected by a link 28 with the sleeve 22. lt will thus be seen that when the sleeve is moved to the' right (see Figure 7) the link 23 pulls down on the end of the bell crank lever 27C, and rocks the bell crank lever to bring the ends of the clutch band closer together, and since the clutch band is on the inside of the wheel,

When the device is A short section of track 10 isl llt this releases the clutch. The movement to the right of the sleeve 22 straightens out the link 28 associated with the clutch Wheel 29, and this lifts up the end of the bell crank lever 27 C (see Figure 9) so as to separate the ends of the clutch band and cause it to press the inner face of the Wheel, thus operatively connecting the Wheel 2O with the shaft 19. The friction member of Wheel 21 is operated to connect Vit withv shaft 19 by moving the sleeve 22 to the left to straighten out link 2S. The parts are arranged so that when the sleeve 22 is in an intermediate. position neither friction clutch is set. Connected With the member 20 is a gear 29 and connected with the member 21V is a gear 30, these gears rotating when their associa-.tec members 2O and 2l rotate. rIhe gear 39 is connected With a-ge'ar 3l, loosely mounted on a shaft 32 and connecten With a Winding drum 33 about which the tail line 3 is Wound. Mounted upon the shaft 32 is a clutch member 34 which may be of any desired for n and which is herein shown as a toothed member adapted to engage teeth 35 on the gear 3l. This clutch member is controlled by the lever 36. Then the teeth 3e and' 35 are engaging and the gear 31 is rot-ating the shaftf32 Will also rotate.- Mounted upon Vthe shaft 32 is a drum 37 about which the control line 6 is Wound. This or in is not directly connected with the shaft 32 but is provided with some means for permitting the shaft to' rotate for a period Without rotating thev drum7 and to then cause the drum to rotate.

In the construction shovvn the interior of the drum is provided With the threads 38. These threads engage threads on a nut 39 which is feathered to the shaft 32 by the feather 40. This nut is provided on opposite sides With the projections l-l and 4t2. When the nut is at the limit of its movement toward the right in Figure 6 the projection 42 engages a projection I3 on the Vpart te attached to the drums 37, and when in this position the rotation of the shaft rotates the drum 37. Vhen the nut 39 is at the limit of its movement to the left, the projection tl engages a projection l5 and when in this position the rotation of the shaft also rotates the drum 37'. In the intermediate position of the nut the' rotation of the ,shaft does not yThe other end is connectedv to one end of a bell crank lever 49, pivoted at to the frame. Some meansis provided for moving this bell crank lever so as to clamp and unclamp the brake band. In the construction shown there is connected with the bell crank lever a link 5l which is connected With an arm 52 on the shaft 53vvhich shaft extends across the brake as shown in Figure 3, and is provided With cranks 54 by means of which it is rotated. It Will be seen that when the shaft rotates so as to move the free end of the arm 52 to the left in Figure 5,`

operator may standy at either side Where heY is in view of the movements of the device and may also view the discharge of the scraper into the cars at the other end of the device, and control the apparatus accordingly.

The truck is also provided With an eXtension arm 57 having a direction changing de-Y vice 58 about which the head line 2 passes. This head line passes from the scraper about this oirection changing device or pulley, and then passes about a pulley 59 tothe drum 60 (see Figure 6). It will thus be seen that the head line isivound upon the drum 60 in a direction opposite to the direction about Which the tail line is Wound about the drum 33, so that as one lengthens the other shortens and vice-versa. rEhe drum 60 is loosely mounted on the shaft 32 and has connection with the geaitl Which meshes With the gear 29 (see Figure 7 Ity Will thus be seen that the drum for the head line is controlled by the f iction clutch associated with the' Wheel 20 While the drum 33 for the tail line is controlled by the friction clutch associated with the Wheel 2l and the drum 37 for the control line is dependent upon the drum for the tail line. The extension arm 57 is arranged so that it may be moved out of the Way when the truck is being transported.

The use and operation of my invention is as f follows z Then the device is to be used in a mine, the truck With the incline and control mechanism is run to the mouth of the room as illustrated in Figures l and 2 and is preferably placed on a short section of track l0. One of the cars 62 is then run in proximity to the outer end of the incline, and the direction changing devices e and 7 and the guide 63 then placed in position. The coal is mined from a VWall 64 and is lying on the floor near this Wall. The scraper is then brought to the position shown in full lines llO in Figure l. The operator starts the motor and throws in the friction clutch 20. This rotates the drum 60 which winds up the head line 2. The drum 33 is then free from the motor and the tail line 3 unwinds therefrom. The drum 37 upon which the control line is wound is held against rotation by the brake band on the wheel 43. The teeth of the clutch 34 of the drum for the tail line are in engagement with the clutch teeth 35 on the gear 3l, and hence as the tail line is unwound the shaft 32 is rotated. During this time the nut 39 associated with the control drum 37 is over the right (see Figure 6), and hence the drum can be held against rotation by the brake, even though the shaft 32 is rotated, for this rotation of the shaft simply moves the nut 39 along toward the left.

The scraper l is an open mouth scraper having the head line connected by the branches 2a with the two ends of the scraper. The pulling forward of the scraper causes it to be loaded with the loose coal. Tfifhen the scraper is full of coal it is then necessary to turn it so that it can be moved toward the entrance to the room. This turning must be gradual and this is done by allowing the direction changing device 5 to move away from the direction changing device 7. ln the present construction this is accomplished by loosening the brake band on the brake wheel d3. This permits the control line drum 37 to turn so that the control line will be unwound therefrom, and direction changing device 5 moving away from the direction changing device 7 as shown in dotted lines in Fgure l, and hence there will be a gradual turning of the scraper.

Tt will be noted that in this particular construction the tail line drum and the control line drum are connected with the same shaft and that the control line drum instead of having a direct connection has a compensating connection. Tt will further be seen that during the rst part of the movement of the scraper along the wall 64e, the tail line drum 33 and the shaft 32 are being rotated because the tail line is being pulled out or unwound, and that during this period the control line drum is held against rotation by the brake, the construction being such, however, that the shaft 32 is free to rotate, such rotation, however, causing the nut 39 to Vmove along the shaft 32, the nut being then disconnected from the driving connection with the drum. This disconnection is due to the projection e2 disen gaging the projection 13. It will further be seen that curing the turning movement of the scraper the control line is unwound rapidly While the tail line isunwound slowly, and may in some instances not be unwound at all during this period because the scrape l is as it were turning about the direction changing device l as a pivot. This speeding up as it were of the control line drum causes it to move faster than the shaft 32 and moves the nut 39 again to the right, and

when the roiection en ales the )ro'ection the shaft 32, the control line drum 37 and the tail line drum 33 then move in unison, such movement being caused by the pull upon the head line 2 due to its being wound upon the drum 60. The control line drum, it will thus be seen, first falls behind a certain amount and then speeds up to catch up the amount it fell behind, and it therefore necessary to have an accurately timed mechanism for doing this, and the nut 39 and threads and associated parts provide such an accurate timing mechanism. The scraper is now pulled down by the head line to the incline or guide 56 andthen is pulled up along said guide to the end thereof, and the material is discharged into the car 62, the scraper being open at the bottom and the end so that this discharge can easily talre place. The operator stops the scraper at its discharge point. After the scraper has been unloaded it is moved baclr to its initial position as shown in full lines in Figure l. This is done by disconnecting the friction member of wheel 2O and connecting the friction member of wheel 2l with said wheel so as to rotate the gear 28. lThis rotates the tail line drum so as to wind up the tail line and pull the scraper baclr. The head line drum 30 is free from the shaft so that it can ro tate to unwind the head line. The control line drum 37 during this operation is conneet-ed with the shaft 32 by the projection l2 engaging the projection A13 (see Figure 6) so that `the control line is wound on the drinn.

Tt will be seen that in this construction T have combined in a self contained actuating or power element on truclr 3, the three drums, one for the head line, another for the tail line, and the other for the control line, and that due to the peculiarities of movement of the system, the control line is, as it were, out of harmony because the unwinding of the control line is different from the winding of the head line and the un-` winding of the tail line during a portion of the movement of the scraper.

The control line drum for example, during a part of the movement is slowed down or held against rotation while the shaft 32, the tail line drum 33 and the head line drum 60 are rotating, andlience the control line drum, as it were, falls behind. The bralre is then released and the control. line drum speeds up and rotates faster than the shaft 32 in order to make up for the time it was stopped or slowed down or retarded. In order to arrange for this laclr of harmony or unison l have provided a compensating device consisting in the particular instance ini of thenutBS) andthe threads on the inside oi the drum 37. Y This compensating device is properly timed so that the control line drum will make up just the amount it loses, and this timing or rrangement ier properly making up the lost revolutions is done automatically, responsive `to the pull o'i the head line. After the nut 39 reaches the point where the projection l2 engages the projection e3, the drums thenrotate in unison. lt is ol course evident that 'the continued movement after the drum has speeued up-may be brought about even if the projection d2 is not in engagement with the projection 43, because the pull of the head line will insure unwinding of the drum 37 to bring about the proper unwinding of the control line.

In the normal operation ot the device, the clutch Salies its teeth in engagement with the teeth` 35. Ii' for example it is desired to move the direction changr g devices l and 7 farther along, or for an reason to change the 4length oi the various `lines, then all that is necessary is to disconnect the clutch 234iwhereupon the drums 33 and 37 may be turned independent ci each othe v, nd or .unwind the desired portion oi e associated line so `ascto llengthen or shorten it. The drum inay also be turned inde endently of the other drums to slierten or lengthen the head line. Under these conditions the clutches 20 and 2l will or. course be disconnected.

lthoughl have shown and described one :term in which my invention may be einbodied, it will be understood that the construction or arrangement of the various parts may be altered or varied Without departing from the spirit and scope oi' the invention. Furthermore, do not wish to be construed as limiting` myself tot-he specilic construction illustrated, excepting` as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A device 'for handling` loose material comprising a scraper, a head line connected therewith, a tail line connected with said scraper, an actuating device connected with o said head and tail line so asto act tl upon to move said scraper, a moi/*able c i tion changing device engaging said head line so as tochange its direct-ion at a predetermined point during the first part of 1noveinent of the scraper, a controlr line connecte l with said movable direction changing device for controlling its position, said control line being connected with said actuating device, and means for rendering the connection bctween the control line and said actuating dev-ice inoperative during a portion ot the time that the actuating device is acting upon the head line.

2. A device torhandling loose material comprising a scraper, a head line connected ISO therewith, a tail line connected with said scraper, an actuating device connected with said head and tail line so as to act thereupon to nieve said scraper, a movable direction changing device engaging said head line so as to change its direction at predetermined point during the first part vof the movement ci the scraper, a control line connected with said movable direction changing device for controlling its position, said control line being connected with said actuatc-evicc, and means for rendering the connection betweenthe control line and said actuating device inoperative during. a por- Yion ci? the time that the actuating device is acting upon the head line and the tail' line.

3. A device for handling loose material compri ino' a scraper, a head line connected therewith, a tail line connected with said scraper, a contr l line connected in said system tor controlling the direction of movement ci the scraper during aportioniof its travel, an actuating device connected with said head and tail lines so as toact thereon to move said scraper, and a connectionbei said actuating device and said control line so that the said actuating devicefralso acts upon said control line. I

4i. A device for handling loose material omprisiig scraper, a head line connected 'fliers-v a tail line connected with said pe, a direction changing device forsaid yad line adapted to change its direction predetermined point during the early part t the movement of the scraper, a control ine c nnected with said direction changing device, a motor, a shaft driven by said motor, awinding drum for the head line and for the tail line connected with said shaftr acting to lengthen and shorten the said head and tail lines when operated, an additional winding drum connected with said shaft for lengthening and shortening sai-d control line, and means for rendering said latter winding drum inoperative during a portion of the r tation of said shaft.

5. A device for handling loose material comprising a scraper, a head line connected therewith, a tail line connected with .said scraper, an actuating device connected with said head and tail line so .as to act rthereupon to move said scraper, a movable direction changing device engaging said headline so as to change its direction at a predetermined point during the first Apart of the movement of the scraper, a control line connected with said movable direction'changing device for controlling its position, said control line being connected with said-'actuating device, and means for rendering the connecbetween the control lineand saidactuating device inoperative during a portion ot the time that the actuating device isacting upon the head line and the tail line so as to retard the unwinding of the control line,

and means for automatically speeding up the unwinding of the control line a. ter it has been retarded so as to compensate for such retardation.

6. A device for handling loose material comprising a scraper, a head line connected therewith, a tail line connected with said scraper, an actuating device connected with said head and tail line so as to act thereupon to move said scraper, a movable direction changing device engaging said head line so as to change its direction at a predetermined point during the first part of the movement of the scraper, a control line connected with said movable direction changing device for controlling its position, said control line being connected with said actuating device, and means for rendering the connection between the control line and said actuating device inoperative during a portion of the time that the actuating device is acting upon the head line and the tail line so as to retard the unwinding of the control line, and means for automatically speeding up the unwinding of the control line after it has been retarded so as to compensate for such retardation, said speeding up being responsive to the pull of the head line.

7. A device for handling loose material comprising a scraper, a head line connected therewith, a tail line connected with said scraped, an actuating mechanism adapted to be connected with said head line and said tail line so as to act thereon to move said scraper, a control line connected in said system, a connection between said control line and said actuating mechanism, and a compensating device interposed in said connection, said compensating device arranged so that the control line may be retarded and then speeded up so as to regain substantially the amount lost in the retardation.

8. A device for handling loose material comprising a scraper, a head line connected therewith, a tail line connected with said scraper, an actuating mechanism adapted to be connected with said head line and said tail line so as to act thereon to move said scraper, a control line connected in said system, a connection between said control line and said actuating mechanism, and a compensating device interposed in said connection, said compensating device arranged so that the control lin-e may be retarded and then speeded up so as to regain substantially the amount lost in the retardation,l

the action of said compensating device being responsive to the pull of the head line.

9. A device for handling loose material comprising a scraper, a head line connected therewith, a tail line connected with said scraper, a direction changing device connected in said system, and a control line therefor, drums for said head line, tail line and control line, a motor, means for connecting said drum with said motor, a compensating connection for said control line drum connected with said -drum and engaged by said nut, whereby the drum may rotate at a speed different from that of the shaft during a portion of the time.

10. A device for handling loose material comprising a scraper, a head line connected therewith, a tail line connected with said scraper, a direction changing device connected in said system, a control line therefor, drums for said head line, tail line and control line, a motor, means for connecting said drum with said motor, a compensating connection for said control line drum comprising a nut rotating with the shaft of said drum but slidable therealong, a thread connected with said drum and engaged by said nut, whereby the said drum may be rotated independently of the shaft by the pull of said head line, and means for connecting said nut with said shaft under predetermined co-nditions so that the shaft may rotate the drum.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, this 13th day of July,

CHARLES E. DAVIS. 

